April 1, 2007
Box Score
ATLANTA, Ga. - A pair of solo home runs helped lift Georgia Tech to a 4-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium against the University of Maryland baseball team. The Yellow Jackets (19-11, 8-4 ACC) took the series sweep with their win, while the Terrapins (18-11, 5-7 ACC) were swept for the first time in 2007. Tech starter Ryan Turner improved to 3-3 on the year, while Terps starter Kevin Biringer (2-5) took the loss. Danny Payne picked up the save, working 1.1 perfect innings.
Georgia Tech scored right away, as shortstop Michael Fisher homered to center field in the bottom of the first. The Jackets then added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, as center fielder Danny Payne doubled down the right field line, scoring Patrick Long who doubled to lead off the inning. Matt Wieters extended the Tech lead to 3-0 when, with two outs, he singled to right, scoring Luke Murton.
Maryland responded in the top half of the sixth, when the Terps plated two runs to close the margin to one. Junior Steve Braun singled and scored on an RBI base hit by senior Dan Melvin. The next batter, sophomore Mike Murphy, repeated the feat as his infield single scored junior Joe Palumbo.
The Jackets tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Wieters blasted the second GT home run of the day, a solo shot over the wall in right-center field. He finished his day 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
In the eighth, the Terps threatened as Melvin walked and moved to third base on Murphy's double to left center. With the tying run 180 feet away, Payne, who moved to the mound from center field, induced a popup to end the threat. Payne then worked a perfect ninth inning to record the save, his third of the year.
The Terps were swept for the first time since April 30 of last season, when Virginia took all three games in College Park.
Maryland returns home to face UMBC on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before making its first midweek road trip, a Wednesday afternoon contest at local rival Towson.
